Infant Swimming
Infant SwimmingDrowning is the third most common death related accident among children younger than 4 in the United States and the leading cause of death in children younger than 5 in California, Arizona, and Florida. (Ellis & Trent, 1997) People have reacted to such statistics by coming up with programs to teach children to swim. The programs started with the pioneering work of Virginia Hunt Newman who brought the idea over to the United States from Australia. She was taught by an Australian by the name of Claire Zimmerman. (Johnson & Odent, 1995) Researchers have found that the best programs understand that knowledge of infant behavior and development would be the safest technique to prevent future drownings. Through years of research with constant colleague review behavioral psychologists have developed programs to reduce the chances of drowning and free the child from the effects of fear when they near the water. Operant conditioning along with psychological development are the technologies used in teaching infants. These programs use child development principles to develop the program goals. Tens of thousands of children have learned the skills to save themselves in a panic situation. The drownproofing programs in the United States have made safety their number one priority and can help a child not panic when they have an aquatic accident. For simplicity sake I will use the masculine pronoun �he� to refer to all infants and toddlers. I expect the reader to substitute the pronoun �she� mentally if necessary.
Many parents are afraid to teach their infants to swim, but there are good reasons why both the parent and the child can benefit from swimming lessons. Your child will love the water. Being with your child in the pool can be an exciting time of bonding for the parent and child. Your child looks to you for encouragement in the new activities that he is trying to accomplish. Physical contact, hugging and touching, expresses love to your child. Being in the water with him gives you a chance to have lots of physical contact. Researchers say that physical contact especially skin to skin is very important to the bonding process. (Johnson & Odent, 1995) Giving this freedom to learn new experiences helps a child reconcile the first stage in Erik Erikson�s child development theory, trust versus mistrust. Furthermore, praising your child for even attempting a task even though the task was not perfectly performed is a good way to build a child�s self confidence. Children who receive praise only when they do something right conclude their parents love them for their accomplishments not just themselves. Remember genuine love is not contingent on success or failure.
Pediatricians have claimed to see lower instances of a cold or flu in a child who takes water safety training. (Whitehead & Curtis, 1983) Furthermore, if you exercise your baby in the water he will get more exercise because of the decreased restriction that gravity has on them. Since they can�t sit or stand baby exercising in the pool is more appropriate, and increased strength helps a child develop walking skills quicker. Teaching your child to swim helps improve their coordination and balance because the water helps them to move bilaterally to maintain equilibrium. (Kochan & McCabe, 1986) In one study a Finnish doctor at the Department of Physical Education the children were put through a test to check motor development benefits as a result of swimming. There were only two groups one who had swimming lessons twice a week and those who had none at all. The babies in the experimental group showed better extension of their joints and were able to control their vertical position earlier than babies in the control group. The babies who took the swimming classes were ahead in all areas of muscle strength. (Johnson & Odent, 1995)
In another study Lies Liselott Diem of Cologne, Germany conducted an experiment on children and swimming. There were six groups of children over a two year period. The groups were divided into the age range at which a child started swimming lessons (3 months, 24 months, or 2 years of no training at all). Each group was evaluated on several different dependent values such as motor development (balancing), social behaviors and personality diagnosis. Statistical data was processed using such things as videotapes and investigations. The results showed that swimming babies had high marks in all the tested areas. The babies that had started swimming at 3 months faired especially well in each case. Better test scores in intelligence and social skills. They were more independent, less timid and handled difficult situations better in a new environment. (Johnson & Odent, 1995)
Children can learn as newborns, because human infants have an innate ability to hold their breath and make swimming movements. (Kochan & McCabe, 1986) During the first 4 and a half months the babies� movements when placed face down in water are automatic. There are rhythmical movements of flexion and extension of arm and legs that propel baby through the water. (Johnson & Odent, 1995) After 4 months your baby�s natural affinity to float will fade. The best time to start teaching them is at 3 months. Each lesson is either child with parent or child with instructor and should last no more than 30 minutes long. Submersion of the child should only last about 7 seconds. When submersing your baby remember to do it in a smooth movement and always keep contact with his face. Make sure that the water temperature is above 82 degrees Fahrenheit or your child will surely be miserable and cry. When your baby is cold its blood vessels constrict and shivering does not usually occur so you might not be able to notice how cold your baby really is. (Kochan & McCabe, 1986) If you can't go to a pool having your own lesson in the bathtub is good.
Parents often notice their child flourishing from the attention that must be given during a lesson. To have the parent be the instructor is the best, because then the bonding of love can happen between the baby and the mother. This bonding is especially important to the child�s development. The mother should try to do the lesson one-on-one.
To prepare the child for submersion, the mother should spend time in a tub just getting the child ready for submersion. Practice getting the child�s head wet, and having the legs and arms moving in the flexing position. When the parent feels the child is ready for the first submersion hold the him firmly underneath his armpits and in a horizontal position. Make sure you give the baby lots of attention, because the baby is totally dependent on you and trust needs to be built. (Kochan & McCabe, 1986) The first submersion is often looked onto with much apprehension, but it actually could be viewed as "water play" or "water adjustment". Hold the child close to you and sit down in the water where the water is coming up to the bottom of the child�s chin. Splash a little water on his face to give him a little taste of what he is in store for. Give your child a lot of visual and verbal clues to prepare him for submersion, saying the child�s first name, then something like, "Ready-Go. Even though the human newborn infant is perfectly adapted to immersion and automatically holds his breath when submerged, blowing strongly on the infants face should make him squint, inhale and hold his breath prior to immersion. (Whitehead & Curtis, 1983) The best time to bring his face below the surface is during the moment he is holding his breath or exhaling. Many infants learn to always hold their breath quickly, but always make sure he learns this before you stop blowing in his face. Then submerge yourself and the baby into the water. Remember to do this in a smooth motion. Always maintaining eye contact because the baby will instinctively keep his eyes open while underwater. Seeing you will calm his initial fears. Noticing bubbles coming up from your child�s mouth indicates that he is holding his breath. (Whitehead & Curtis, 1983) The first time you do this should only be for like three seconds, later you can stay under for 7 seconds. Never submerge your infant for more than eight seconds. When you come up greet him with a big smile. Don�t forget to have fun.